Another chapter! And it didn't take a month for this one to happen!

Chapter 5

She stood in her hotel room, tapping an impatient foot as she waited for someone to answer the phone. Regina didn't want to make the call, but she knew Snow and Charming would do something idiotic if she didn't periodically check in with them.

"Hello?" The sound of Snow White's voice was simultaneously aggravating and reassuring to Regina.

"There's a bit of a problem," Regina declared, eschewing a more proper hello.

"Oh, no. What now?" Snow lamented.

"Ursula is here."

"Ursula?" Snow's voice revealed her surprise. "As in the giant octopus queen of the sea, Ursula? The deity you impersonated one of the many times you tried to kill me, Ursula?"

Regina winced. She'd nearly forgotten about that. "That would be the one."

"What is she doing in New York?"

"It would appear that she lives and works here," Regina sighed. "Emma and I ran into her today at the city aquarium. She feeds the fish. Ironically."

"Wait. You saw Emma again?"

"It wasn't a big deal," Regina dismissed, running her fingers through her hair. "She said she wanted to show me her city."

"I don't like it, Regina. You know how I feel about you being in direct contact with Emma and Henry. And it can't be a coincidence that you ran into Ursula. Why is she in New York instead of the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke?"

"That's a good question. And I honestly don't know. Rumple's curse did all kinds of things I hadn't expected."

"I wonder if she can realm-jump like the mermaids," Snow wondered aloud.

"My guess is no since she is very much in human form and without six of her eight arms."

"Maybe if you get her wet," Snow proposed.

Regina rolled her eyes. This wasn't the movie Splash and Ursula was no gremlin either. "There's no magic here."

"Then you'll just have to bring her back to Storybrooke with you."

"She's a villain, Snow. Why ever would we want to help her get her magic back?"

"If we did her this favor, maybe she would realm jump for us to the Enchanted Forest. Maybe she could help us figure out what happened during the year we lost. Maybe she can help us find whomever enacted the second curse."

"That's a lot of maybes," Regina sighed.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"No." Regina turned toward her hotel door when she heard a brisk knock. "I have to go, Snow."

"When are you coming back?" Snow demanded.

"Soon. But it seems now I've got an octopus to convince to come back with me."

"Regina. Be careful."

Regina could hear the concern in Snow's words, and it made her uncomfortable. "I can't make any promises."

The knocking at the door persisted.

"I've got to go, Snow. I think your daughter is here."

"What? Wait, Reg—."

Regina hung up the phone and couldn't repress the smug smile that made its way to her lips. She might have sort of been one of the Good Guys now, but she couldn't deny how much joy she got from toying with Snow White.

Regina smoothed her hands over the black and white dress she'd chosen for the night and ran her fingers through her dark hair. The dress hugged her lean curves and was meticulously fitted like all of her wardrobe. When they'd made plans to meet up later that evening, Emma had instructed that she wear something nice—"like a dress or something" she'd told her. Regina knew there was no point in telling Emma that her instructions were both vague and unhelpful. She would get no more clues from the blonde woman.

Emma stood on the other side of the door in a dark green dress that Regina was sure complimented the color of her irises. Regina leaned her hand against the doorframe, blocking Emma's entrance. "I'm glad it was you at the door and not some strange man who wants to kiss me."

Emma laughed. "Hey, the night is young. There's still time to find you a stalker."

Regina frowned. "Is that who that man was this morning?"

"Nah," Emma dismissed. "Someone probably just left the front entrance to the building propped open again. It happens sometimes, especially in winter when these homeless or mentally unstable guys are looking for a place to get warmed up."

Region's frown deepened. "I don't know what's preferable—a stalker or a crazy man who wants a kiss."

"All part of the perks of living in this city," Emma chuckled. "I suppose Storybrooke doesn't have those kinds of problems?"

"Oh, we're not without problems," Regina remarked. "They're just of a different kind."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Nothing very interesting, I'm afraid," Regina said with practiced nonchalance. Just a year missing from the townspeople's memories. "Where's Henry tonight?"

"Sleepover party," Emma grinned. "So I guess I don't have a curfew," she winked.

Regina swallowed; her mouth had inexplicably become dry. "By the way, you look lovely, dear."

"You do, too," Emma admired. "We clean up pretty good, huh?"

Regina scanned the other woman from head to toe. The tight green dress left little to the imagination without being too risqué. Regina marveled at the other woman's ability to tiptoe that fine line. "Indeed," she murmured.

"Your heels are killer," Emma said, pointing to Regina's footwear. "How do you even walk? My ankles hurt just looking at them."

Regina stared down at her feet. The shiny black stilettos were as much a part of her mayoral uniform as her typical outfit of button-up blouse and tailored pants.

"Are these going to be shoes okay?" she worried aloud. "Are we taking a cab or walking very far?"

"We can walk, if that's okay with you and your fancy shoes. It's just a few blocks from here."

Regina brushed away a few locks of hair that had fallen over her eyes. "You're really not going to tell me where you're taking me?"

"Don't tell me you're one of those people who hate surprises."

"Alright, I won't tell you," Regina smirked.

Emma tapped at her wrist, where a watch might be. "We'd better get a steppin' so we're not late though." She stepped back from the hotel room door and made a grand, elaborate gesture with her hands. "Shall we, m'lady?"

Regina exhaled. The lights and sounds and movement all around her in Times Square was equally exhilarating and intimidating. She couldn't recall having felt simultaneously insignificant, but also having her finger on the pulse of the world. The lights were blinding. It was hard to remember that it was nighttime in winter. The sky was lit up and with so many people crowded in one spot, the residual body heat made the night feel a few degrees warmer than before.

This world was a marvel; Storybrooke was an in-between world with remnants of the Enchanted Forest, but since it had been frozen in time for nearly three decades, the town had fallen behind in technology and communications.

A solid arm snaked around her midsection. "Stay close," Emma instructed in Regina's ear. "If I lose you in this crowd, I'll probably never find you again."

"Is this where you wanted to take me?" Regina tried to ignore Emma's proximity and how surprisingly good the arm around her felt.

"Nope. But it's a cool detour, right?"

Regina tilted her head back to take in as much of the view as her eyes would allow. "Very cool."

Next to her, Emma began to shake with laughter.

Regina furrowed her brow. "What's so funny?"

Emma's deep dimples were on display. "I'm sorry; I don't know why hearing you say 'very cool' is so funny to me. I don't even know you, but something tells me you've never said those words in your entire life."

Regina thinned her lips. "We're on a tight schedule, are we not?"

Emma's easy grin remained glued to her face. "Yeah. Come on." She grabbed onto Regina's gloved hand in her own and began to tug her through the thick mass of bodies.

Regina quickened her step to keep up with Emma's pace. She expertly maneuvered the two of them through the crowds. Regina held on tightly to Emma's hand, heeding the other woman's words of warning even though if they got separated Regina could always just call it a night and catch a cab back to her hotel.

"Are we close?" Rather than take notice of her surroundings, Regina watched the back of Emma's head and the soft bounce of blonde curls.

"Yeah; it's just around the corner."

The lights of Times Square faded in the background, but as they turned another corner, the sky was re-populated with the bright billboards of Broadway.

Region's feet caught on the sidewalk.

Emma stopped and turned back. "Is something wrong?"

Regina gaped at one particular sign prominent above the Gershwin Theater. The outline of two females, one green and one white, were displayed above the flashing lights of the famous theater.

"Are we going to a Broadway show?"

"Yeah," Emma confirmed. "A guy I know in the police department has a hook up that gets decent seats really cheap. It's borderline illegal, but hey, I'm not gonna complain." She frowned and her forehead creased. "Unless you've already seen Wicked?"

Regina licked her lips. "No. I've never seen the play." But she knew enough about the story to have called it her own.

Emma had somehow procured two seats in the front center of the first balcony. As Regina sat down, she couldn't help staring at the mechanical-looking dragon at her eye level. A play about magic and misunderstood witches and the birth of evil. It was all too much.

"Impressive set design, right?" Emma noted, noticing Regina's stare.

"Indeed," Regina murmured. The dragon sat passive and immobile, but Regina had dealt with too many fire-breathing beasts in her day to totally relax.

Her anxiety must have been palpable. "Are you okay?" Emma asked, concern troubling her features.

"I'm fine," Regina grit out. "Just excited for the play to start." Even if the woman in the seat beside her wasn't the same Emma Swan that Regina had tangled with so many times, she wasn't going to let this version see her unhinged.

When the final curtain call had been made, and the lights in the theater had been turned on, Regina dabbed at the corners of her eyes, mindful of her eye makeup.

The performance had been powerful; every actor on stage was a professional and when their voices lifted in song, it gave Regina goosebumps. It was the closest thing to magic this world had. But more so than the entertainment value, it was the storyline that had brought Regina to tears.

Emma turned in her chair to face the raven-haired woman beside her. Regina had been conspicuously quiet throughout the show and had even remained in her seat at intermission when Emma had gone in search of a bathroom and candy. "So what'd you think?"

"I adored it," Regina revealed in a voice so quiet and genuine it surprised her own ears. "Thank you, Miss Swan."

"You're very welcome." Emma grabbed Regina's hand and squeezed. "But it's still just Emma."

Upon leaving the Gershwin Theater, Regina slipped her arm through the crook of Emma's elbow, linking their arms together. It was an instinctive move and after she'd done it, she couldn't recall why she had. It wasn't as though she needed to stick close to Emma for fear of getting lost; the crowds were far less intimidating on Broadway than they had been at Times Square. Emma didn't comment about the overly familiar gesture, however, so Regina felt confident remaining linked at the arms.

"Not exactly a traditional version of the Wizard of Oz story, huh?" Emma noted as they navigated a busy intersection. "Kinda makes you wonder what other fairytale villains have gotten a bad rap."

"It's amazing the power authors have," Regina murmured, more to herself than to the woman beside her. She continued to match Emma's long strides. "What do you think about the story's premise that evil is created and not born?" She knew she was playing with fire; Emma had demonstrated time and again that her suppressed memories weren't as buried as Regina had intended. "Do you think that's true?"

"Kind of. I mean, I totally think we're all a product of our environment. If you had a shitty home life growing up, that's bound to have an impact on you as an adult."

Regina wanted to point out that Emma had turned out all right despite her childhood in foster care, but she wasn't supposed to know that information. Instead, she remained quiet and tucked her chin closer to her chest when an icy blast of wind swept down the Broadway sidewalk.

"Are you okay? Are you warm enough?" Emma worried.

"I'll be fine," Regina said through chattering teeth.

Emma unlinked elbows and instead threw her arm around Regina's shoulder and briskly rubbed up and down the other woman's far arm, trying to warm her with her body heat. "Come on, I know a route that'll get us to your hotel faster. We can avoid Times Square on the way back."

Emma hastened her step and Regina struggled to keep up. She was a master at walking in high heels, but Emma's brisk walk had practically turned into a jog.

"Miss Swan," she stiffly protested. "Emma." She frowned when Emma darted to her left down a narrow alleyway that was in no way a proper street.

What is with these people and their need to take shortcuts? she grumbled to herself.

Regina turned down the alley in close pursuit of the blonde who could be endearing or annoying at the flip of a switch. Emma hadn't gotten far, however. Regina spotted her only a few feet ahead of her.

"Emma," Regina started, ready to scold the woman for the unnecessary detour.

"Shhh."

"Do not Shush me, Miss Swan," Regina snapped, annoyance readily building.

If Emma was unable to silence the former evil queen, a low, threatening growl did.

Over Emma's shoulder, Regina saw it. At first, because of the alley's dim lighting, she couldn't make out the outline of the huddled, hulking figure. But then it puffed its chest and two black wings rose from its back.

Dragon, Regina immediately thought. But this was like no dragon she'd ever seen. For one, it was too small, even for a juvenile dragon. Secondly, the face and snout were all wrong. And finally, it was covered in fur.

The creature growled again, this time in a more high-pitched register. Its wings expanded as far as they could go in the narrow street, and its glassy eyes flashed an eerie neon green. With one pump of its impressive, bat-like wings, the furry beast shot into the air. It let loose another frightening howl and snapped its pointed jaws.

Regina was frozen, stunned by the obviously magical creature's existence in New York, but not so petrified that she didn't realize what was happening: they were going to be attacked.

The winged monster hovered a few feet above them. It swooped low, long arms reaching and its sharp teeth bared. Regina's reflexes kicked in, much as they had when she'd confronted the man who'd tried to steal from Henry. Somewhere in her brain she remembered that this was a world without magic, but the rest of her body didn't care.

She wrapped an arm around Emma in a protective gesture and shot her free arm forward to ward off the attacking beast. A bright white ball of energy crackled in the palm of Regina's gloved hand. She snapped her head to look at Emma, too worried that her cover had been blown rather than dwell on the fact that she had access to magic. But Emma's emerald eyes were closed tight.

Not wasting the moment or the fireball, Regina shot the pulsing orb toward their attacker. It struck the winged beast square in the chest. The monster howled from the impact, but the magic hadn't been enough to vaporize the creature.

Those inhuman green eyes flashed brighter, glaring down at Regina, whose arm had remained around Emma. When Regina's dark eyes met those of her attacker—the beast still hovering a few feet above them—she realized that she'd seen those eyes before: Walsh.

Regina summoned another ball of energy, determine to finish this. The green-eyed beast shrieked in protest, and with another pump of its wings, shot up into the night sky and out of view.

The threat no longer eminent, the magic Regina had conjured dissipated. The encounter had lasted only seconds, but she slumped forward, suddenly exhausted.

Regina withdrew the arm around Emma and returned it to her side. "It's gone, Emma."

The blonde's eyes finally fluttered open. "Jesus," she blew out a rough breath. "I knew about the alligators in the sewers, but what the hell was that?"

"An animal of some kind. Maybe a bear?" Regina proposed. She brushed at the front of her wool trench coat, removing imaginary lint.

"Bears don't have wings, Regina."

"I'm the mayor of a small town, Miss Swan, not a zoologist."

Emma stared up at the sky. "Call me crazy, but that thing looked a helluva lot like a flying monkey."

"Like from the play?" Regina laughed uncomfortably. "So was that all part of the show?"

"I know. It's crazy," Emma dismissed her observation, but continued to look perplexed.

Regina didn't like the look on Emma's face. She could see the gears churning in her head, trying to make sense of it all. And Regina knew her sheriff well enough to know that this was something Emma wouldn't easily forget. She would hunt this curiosity down until she solved the mystery.

Regina hated to admit it but Snow White had been right. She needed to stop spending time with Emma. After tonight, she vowed, this would stop. She would figure out what was Walsh's deal on her own and then she would go back to Storybrooke. It was for the best.

While Regina's brain busied itself with mental promises to stay away from Henry and Emma, they'd arrived back at Regina's hotel. She'd been so deep in thought that she'd practically walked past the front entrance.

"Hey," Emma called. She snagged Regina by the elbow and stopped her progress. "This is you."

Regina snapped to attention and looked at their surroundings. "So it is."

"Are you going to be okay the rest of the way?" Emma asked.

"Going up to my room? Yes, dear. I think I can manage just fine. What about you?" she asked. "Please tell me you're taking a cab the rest of the way home. I don't like the idea of you walking alone with a winged bear on the loose."

"Are you trying to get me to spend the night?"

Regina felt herself blush furiously. "No, I, uh, I..."

"Relax, Regina," Emma chuckled. "I'm only teasing you." She tilted her head to the side. "Geez. Do you always blush so easily?"

"Actually, no."

She was hardly the blushing maiden anymore. She might not have looked it, but Regina had decades of experience on Emma Swan. So why was she suddenly feeling so very shy whenever the conversation turned to sex?

Emma threw an arm into the air and hailed a cab. Moments later a yellow taxi was idling at the curb waiting for its passenger.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan." Regina took Emma's hand into her gloved one. "Thank you for a memorable night and trip."

Emma's features scrunched together. "Wait. Are you leaving?"

Regina sucked in a deep breath. "Yes. My business is nearly concluded, so I'll be returning to Storybrooke shortly."

"But I'm going to see you again before you leave, right?"

"I don't know."

"I didn't realize this was going to be goodbye. It probably sounds dumb to you, but I really feel like I've known you for longer than a few days."

"Miss Swan, please. Your taxi."

Emma's eyes left Regina's face to regard the waiting cab. "I can get another one," she dismissed. "Don't you think we should have one more drink or something? It feels weird to say goodbye out on the sidewalk like this."

Regina bit her bottom lip. This would be the last time she saw Emma Swan she told herself. This needed to be the last time. But one drink wouldn't hurt, right?

TBC